ClassificationsAncient Near Eastern Art
Intaglio of an Archer
AAT Object Techniqueintaglios (sculptural objects)
AAT Object Form/Functiongems (worked stones)
AAT Object Form/Functionfigures (representations)
Place CreatedIran, Asia
CultureSasanian
PeriodSasanian Empire
Dateca. 4th Century CE
MediumCarnelian
Credit LineGift in honor of Lucie Andre
Dimensions2 3/4 x 1/2 x 3/8 in. (7 x 1.2 x 1 cm)
Object number2006.015.001
Label TextThis carved stone or intaglio would originally have been set into a ring or other piece of jewelry. It depicts a bearded warrior seated on horseback firing a bow and arrow behind him in the typical manner of a Parthian warrior. Parthia was a small state located to the southeast of the Caspian Sea, but expanded into Mesopotamia and struggled with the Roman Empire for control of the area.Parthian archers were renowned for their ability to shoot arrows backwards from their horses forcing invading enemies to charge after them into unfamiliar terrain. This technique became known as the "Parthian shot" and found its way into everyday speech, used to describe a provocative phrase or action made by someone leaving.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, September 2001 - February 12, 2018
ProvenanceWith Bonhams London, December 1, 1999, lot 293. Ex private collection, United States.
Status
Not on viewCollections
- Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art
mid 2nd Century CE
early 1st Century CE
late 2nd Century BCE
19th-20th Century
5th Century BCE
1000-800 BCE
1st Century CE
late 19th Century
1076-723 BCE
206 BCE-220 CE
